OFFICIAL: Chelsea will replace Samsung with Yokohama as shirt sponsor

Samsung had been Chelsea's main sponsor since 2005. This new deal sets them just behind Manchester United.

The money to reel in players like Raphael Varane to Stamford Bridge could come from the shirts Chelsea wears in every game. The London club signed a £40million a year deal for five years with Yokohama this Thursday.

This deal sets Chelsea ahead of Liverpool and Manchester City when it comes to settling an agreement to sponsor the shirts of the team. Manchester United still tops the list by receiving £53-million a year by Chevrolet.

Chelsea Football Club is delighted to unveil The Yokohama Rubber Company Ltd as our new Official Shirt Partner in our largest-ever commercial deal,” read a statement issued by the club.

It will also allow them to increase their buying potential during the transfer market period without voiding Financial Fair Play rules. An issue that mostly lets other Premier League clubs get what Chelsea wants.

In the offseason, Chelsea is expected to for Varane from Real Madrid. The midfielder’s market value is around £30-million.

For Mourinho, this deal can allow him to buy better players during the offseason

It won’t be until next season when we see the changes in uniform that Chelsea wears to their games. Yokohama will replace Samsung, which had agreed to a contract extension back in 2012 and has been linked with the club since 2005.

The agreement between both ends is expected to benefit matters that develop away from the field. Chelsea wants its brand to grow in more countries by joining a brand that has presence in over 100 nations.

“We believe that Yokohama will play a key role in helping us drive our global expansion in international markets such as the US, where they have operated with distinction for many years,” Chelsea’s statement added.

The two main markets where this deal could make an impact are Japan and the United States. In the U.S. the new partner already sponsors NBA teams.